Irken Games
by Invader Xenial
Summary: Issi placed a comforting hand on her mistress's shoulder. Together they turned to the giant floating screen. Many names were called. Many Irkens disappeared. Zee stared at the ground after a few minutes, relief flooding through her. They were on the last few contestants. She was safe... Zee looked up to read her name flashing on the giant screen. Invader Zim/Hunger Games Xover
1. The Contestants

Irken Games

"Welcome, brave Irkens!" the announcer cried. She wore a bright blue dress and shiny high heels, and her white teeth beamed at the cheering audience. "I am your host, Ren, and I will be choosing this years competitors for the annual Irken Games!"

The crowd continued to cheer. The floating cameras projected her face onto the giant screen behind her, for every Irken on the planet to see. The Tallests waved happily as they vanished into the Massive, to call the selected contestants to the stadium.

It was like this every year. Twenty-four Irkens or SIR units were chosen for participation in this tournament, where they will be dropped into a deserted planet and fight to the death. It doesn't matter how old you were, everyone from smeets to the elderly were picked.

Ren walked over to the computer and the Assigning began, as it did every year. One by one, Irkens were called up. And one by one they appeared in the teleporters, some terrified, some looking proud. For if they won the Games, they would no longer be defects. They would be equals, and allowed back into society.

Some contestants were more memorable than others.

A small Irken male was called first, and he stood behind Ren quietly in his skull-like mask. He wore a black and green uniform, looking as though it used to be an Invader's outfit. Next was a black and green SIR unit, who stood very close to the Irken, as if they had met.

A tall, bulky male with dark blue eyes wearing a blue and black uniform looked at the audience fearfully.

A tall male with bright red eyes wearing a black and red uniform actually waved and smiled to the crowd.

A small, silver eyed Irkeness with two very long eyelashes and very big, very curly antennae in a hot pink dress beamed and skipped over to the other contestants. They stared at her in shock.

A tearful and pale-skinned maroon-eyed Irkeness with three small eyelashes, long antennae that make a zig-zag shape and wearing a dark red dress wrung her hands and stared at her feet as she shuffled over to the contestants.

A pale-skinned and light blue-eyed Irkeness with only one eyelash on each eye, curly antennae and wearing a light violet uniform burst into tears at the sight of the maroon eyed girl, and they clung to each other, terrified.

An orange eyed male only sulked as he appeared in the pod, and stood gloomily behind the others.

An orange-eyed Irkeness wearing a grey uniform simply looked bored, and rolled her eyes at the crowd.

A small, red-eyed Irken stuck out his tongue at the booing crowd, then screamed, "I AM ZIM!"

A medium-sized Irkeness with purple eyes and an implant at the side of her head glared at the Irken who

shouted his name.

A short and fat Irken male with stains on his uniform huddled close to Zim, who shrugged him off instantly.

A purple-eyed male beamed at the glaring Irkeness, and they shook hands. "Good to see you, Tak." He muttered, but the sensitive microphones projected his voice for the whole planet to hear.

A tall, blueish-greyish eyed male with a red PAK glared at the crowd and stomped over to the other contestants, his expression sour.

They were down to the last few contestants. The crowd let out a gasp, then they began to laugh. Ren turned around to look at the screen. She gasped. No one had heard that name for years...

/

Zee was lying in her bed, designing a new ship for Isidar, her psychelia. The old ship was beaten and worn, and Issi deserved something better. Of course, she would never get it... Zee sighed as she stretched her neck. She and her fellow exiles lived on distant planets from the Irken civilization. After it was discovered that she had actual feelings, she was banished from Irk, and sent to work as part of the Janitorial Squad. Every year, four Irkens or defective SIR units disappeared. No one knew where, but they didn't come back.

She got up and stretched. She supposed she was scared for the Assigning, but her thoughts were elsewhere. _She used to be a respected member of the Empire. She was the heir. _She thought bitterly as she stomped out of her small shack she called home and joined Issi, who was waiting outside. _Now she was nothing..._

Issi stared at her mistress in fear. She had been becoming more and more distant over the years.

"Miss Zee?" The Noid asked as they joined the ginourmous crowd that was gathering near the teleporters.

"Yes." Zee said stiffly.

"Are you alright?" She asked nervously.

Zee turned to her with fear bubbling in her once bright eyes. "No."

Issi placed a comforting hand on her mistress's shoulder. Together they turned to the giant floating screen. Many names were called. Many Irkens disappeared. Zee stared at the ground after a few minutes, relief flooding through her. They were on the last contestant. She was safe...

Zee looked up to read her name flashing on the giant screen.

/

_Zee's POV_

For several tense seconds, I could barely breathe. The Irkens that were chosen never came back. They had no choice. I only came back when I felt two guards shoving me forward, and when I heard Isidar's screams.

"That's my mistress! Please, take me instead! Zee! ZEE!" She cried.

"ISSI!" I screamed, trying to reach her. "_ISSI!"_

"SILENCE!" boomed Tallest Red. He glared at me from the giant screen. "Get in the pod, defect." He snapped, and the guards shoved me in unceremoniously. The last thing I saw was Issi's terrified face as the guards approached her.

"ISSI!" I screamed, stumbling out of the pod. The enormous crowd of Irkens stared at me.

"Ahem." I cough, and straightened my dress. "Where... where am I?" I ask the nearest Irken I can find.

"Irk." A beaming female replies. "You have been selected in the Irken Games!"

"What..." I begin.

"The Irken Games are a fight-to-the-death tournament, where the victor is named a regular Irken! Isn't that great?" She giggled.

"LEMME OUT OF HERE!" I pounded on the teleporter pod.

"It's too late." a familiar voice said. I turned around and saw Zim standing behind me.

I gasped. _No, not him! I couldn't kill him. Not after what he had done._

_It was back in the academy, before I was Smeetling. I was struggling. I was so tired I couldn't even lift my gun. The obstacle course was nearly completely finished, but all of my companions were killed. That was the way it worked in the academy, only the strong can belong. I faced the last opponent, a training robot armed to the teeth. I didn't have the strength to destroy it. However, before it could reach me, he stopped the machine, saying I was good enough. Nevertheless, I saw the truth in his eyes. He saved my life._

_Now I have to fight him!?_ I thought franticly.

Ren giggled again and said, "Well now, off you go you two. Shake hands"

We did, and I stared straight into his eyes, wanting to thank him, to apologize, something! But, no, I couldn't. I pulled away, and went to shake hands with the rest of the contestants. A few stuck in my head. A tall, lean girl named Tak. A small pudgy Irken named Skoodge. In addition, this horrified me, a small girl, barely past smeethood, named Nikki.

"Ladies and Irkenbeasts! I give you our Irken Game Contestants!" Ren cried.

/

The contestants marched out of the stadium, one by one. We were going to be paired up alphabetically for the chariot ride. We were going to be put into beautiful costumes, and driven up to hear a speech made by the Tallest themselves.

I trudged along, fighting back tears. I was surely one of the youngest Irkens there, being only 16. I felt like I should be prepared for the arena, but all I felt was emptiness.

The contestants assembled in a giant room to be paired up. I stood still with my head down, waiting for my name to be called. I would have to share an apartment with that partner, and would stay with him until we were launched into the arena.

A short Irken wearing a skull-like mask and scarf over a black and glow-green uniform glared at Zee. His name was called (Ex-Invader Caltic,) and he was paired with another female Irken with maroon eyes. She looked terrified. Little Nikki was paired up with a big Irken male named Teirn. Skoodge and Tak were paired together, and neither looked excited about it. Finally, my name was called, and I looked up at the short Irken who was reading the names. To my horror, I was partners with Zim. We joined each other, and neither spoke. I thought I should say something, but I couldn't think of anything.

We quickly separated, but we would see each other soon on the chariot ride. I walked into my stylist's quarters and met my prep team, a bunch of saggy old ladies, to be prepared for my stylist.

They looked at me, looking uncomfortable. I heard one whisper, "Not much to look at is she?"

I fumed silently. Like they're so beautiful! After a few perfume changes and adjustments on my antennae, they backed away, admiring their work. One then rushed off to find my stylist, an Irken named Skan, while the other disappeared into the next room. Twirling my antennae, I wondered what Zim was going through. I silently scolded myself. He was nothing except a competitor! I should only be worrying about myself!

Skan strolled in, and I was pleased to find he was younger than those old ladies. He wore a bright green uniform to match his eyes. He walked over to me and surprised me with a hug.

"I'm so sorry you were chosen, Zee" he whispered into my antennae and then released me. "It always breaks my heart when someone so young is chosen for the Games." He said, brushing away a few tears. I decided that I liked Skan. He was someone I could trust in the Games.

"Now, onto your costume," He said, pulling out a sketch pad.

"What am I going to wear?" I asked curiously.

Skan smiled. "You're going to love it."

I returned the smile.


	2. Chariots, Training and Doom

I boarded my chariot, feeling wonderful. My costume was beautiful. I wore a brilliant dress made of Vortian fabric, which gave the illusion that I was made up of pure starlight. The stars were made of beautiful jewels which seemed to glow with a strange power. I wore a magnificent crown, as dark as the night sky. Zim wore a full body suit made from the same material. We were truly the wonders of the universe. No other pair looked as beautiful as we did.

Skoodge, dressed in a suit as red as blood, waddled up to Zim. "Hey, best of luck there man." He said happily.

Zim smiled faintly, leaning down to give him a fist pump.

"You too man." He said, and waved as Skoodge walked back to Tak.

"Friend of yours?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, we've known each other from smeethood." Zim answered, looking sadly at his friend, who was pitifully trying to climb his chariot, not knowing it would be easier to use his PAK legs. "I hope I don't have to kill him." Zim continued, looking down.

I was surprised. I was worrying about my own fate as Zim was worrying for his friend. It made me feel inferior. "I didn't know," I mumbled uncomfortably.

Zim gave a quick laugh. "Well, I bet he's the only one who will ever care about me. Even my SIR unit hates me. I bet the Tallest made sure I was in these Games." He turned to me. "I'm not sure what they're accomplishing by sending you into the Games though. I'm sorry."

I blushed quickly, hoping Zim wouldn't see. "Well, be sure to ask them that after you win, eh?"

I laughed. I didn't know if it was nerves or the whole barbarism of the thing, but thinking that one of us would win was so absurd it seemed funny.

I spotted Caltic in a dark cloak. He glared at me, and then turned away. I also saw little Nikki, getting a boost from her stylist up onto the chariot.

I turned to Zim and whispered, "Thank you, Zim." He didn't answer, but I was certain he heard me.

The chariots started moving, meaning it was time to go. I stood up straight, looking straight ahead. Zim and I would be the last ones to go. When we finally came out, the crowd went wild. We must look amazing! I thought.

Zim looked stunned, then started waving and smiling, earning screams from the crowd. I still stared straight ahead, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of my smile. In my mind, I owed nothing to these people, who bet on my life for the mere enjoyment.

Zim raised both of his fists and cried, "I AM ZIM!" The crowd went insane, some of them even fainting. Zim reached his hand to me and grasped my hand. I squeezed it, not wanting to let it go. Then, gaining confidence, I raised my hand holding Zim's and thrust it over our heads.

Compared to Zim's cry, this drove them over the edge. Some even tried to jump from the crowd onto the runway. At least fifty had to be shocked by the guards to be prevented from jumping towards us.

Finally, we reached the platform where the Tallest were waiting. I lowered my hand and glared at them. These Irkens were the reason that I was here. The reason I would never become Tallest. And I hated them for it.

"Welcome, mighty contestants!" Tallest Red cried. "Welcome to the Irken Games! We are proud to salute you in your bravery!"

"We will meet personally at your private lesson with us in training!" Tallest Purple cried. "Rest, and may you fight to the end, in glory of the Empire!"

"GLORY OF THE EMPIRE!" The crowd cheered.

And with that, the chariots turned around and went back the way they came. I fumed silently. I have to win the Games, I thought, my fury unbearable. Because then, I'll be able to kill the Tallest.

Zim's POV

When the chariots returned, Zim saw that Zee had a faint blush on her cheeks, and her normally curly antennae were as straight as a males. She was mad. Zim decided not to poke the bear, and leave her alone. Their stylists walked up and helped them out of the chariots. Zim looked down and saw that Zee still hadn't let go of his hand. She saw this and blushed, some curl returning to her feelers.

Skan led them to their apartment and directed them to their room.

It was breathtaking. Every single object in the room looked like it was made of jewels. two glasses of light pink acid sat on the table. Zim remembered he hadn't eaten or drank since the Assigning, and drank thirstily. Someone had added honey to the drink, making it even sweeter.

Zee hung back, not taking the glasses. She asked Skan where her room was and disappeared. Zim shrugged. He would see her again in training tomorrow.

/

Zee's POV

I ran to my room and threw myself on the bed. I lay there and sobbed into my pillow. I'm in the Games. I thought. I have to kill other Irkens. And I'll never see Issi again...

I don't know if I slept at all, but the next thing I knew, Irk's three suns shone through my window. I trudged out of my room and plunked myself into a dining room chair and nibbled on some cheesecake. Zim joined me and we sat together in silence. "Last night, you said you knew Skoodge from Smeethood," I began, turning to the Ex-Invader. "Is there anyone else you know?"

Zim sighed. "Tak. But she hates me so I don't mind killing her. And there's also Dez."

I tried to remember. I think Dez was the one who had orange eyes and a grey and orange PAK, and he stood about 4 inches taller than Zim. "How do you know him?"

Zim gave a quick laugh. "He was a former Invader, but he ran away to planet Meekrob because he didn't like Operation Impending Doom 2. We met at Shloogorghs."

I turned back to my cake. "What about Nikki?"

Zim's expression turned stony. "I don't know her."

I finished my breakfast and chucked the rest into the garbage shoot. "Come on. Don't want to be late for training."

A few hours later,

Training. It's where the competitors went to learn valuable skills before they enter the Games. At the end of the training, we all go into a private lesson with the Tallest, where we receive a training score. There was everything you could think of here. Shooting ranges, endurance training, lighting fires, you name it. Zim and I separated, to go into training ourselves.

I headed to the shooting range, and picked up a laser gun. I cocked it, and aimed it at the dummy about ten yards away. My blast went straight through its heart. I went to another dummy and turned around, my back to the dummy. I cocked my gun and shot over my shoulder. I turned around and saw the blast took off the dummy's head. The other competitors stared at me. Caltic growled and stalked away.

I looked over to Zim, who was at the inventions station. In ten seconds flat he made a gun out of the electricity in his PAK, a bamboo shoot, and a twig. He aimed it at a test dummy and fired. A ball of electricity shot out of his makeshift gun and blew the dummy up. Tak grunted and stalked away. Skoodge clapped and cheered.

I walked over to him. "Nice job Zim."

"Yes…. I AM ZIM!" he cried, pumping his fists into the air. I laughed, and grabbed his hand. "Come on Almighty Zim."

Over the next few days, we did many different stations, ranging from shooting to climbing. I watched the other contestants skills, to see what I was up against. Tak excelled at mind manipulation, and made the instructor eat a rock.

Caltic pulled out a laser sword out of his PAK and handled it with ease. He surprised me by changing it into a gun and blowing limbs off the test dummies. His SIR unit, RUF, was very swift and agile, reminding me of a feline I met on Irk as a smeet. I still have the scars...

Nikki showed skill at healing, and could climb literally anything, with or without her PAK legs.

A dark-blue eyed male named Pin ripped off the head of a metal dummy using his bare hands.

A tall Irken male with red eyes named Teirn threw spear after spear at the fast-moving target drones. Each spear always found their mark.

A silver-eyed girl named Kandi simply watched as we trained, a hungry look in her eye.

The maroon-eyed girl (named Fera) that I noticed earlier was very skilled with a bow and arrow, always finding the target. She stuck very closely to a light blue eyed girl named Kari who seemed to be hard of hearing.

An orange-eyed girl named Lain was gifted at almost anything, sneering at us when we made a mistake. I made a note to remember her as a fierce athlete.

Ziltch, a purple eyes male, leapt around the room with ease on his PAK legs, shooting almost everything with his lasers. He landed next to Tak, and put his arm around her shoulder, beaming.

A blue-grey eyed male named Nai looked bored and drank soda in the corner. Sometimes he got up to try a weapon, other times he just left.

Skoodge was bad at practically everything, but seemed almost indestructible.

Dez showed an obsession for fire starting, and lit an entire station on fire. Ironically, it was an acid filtering station.

As the training sessions ended, I found that I will have quite a problem killing any of these people. On the day of the private sessions, I wondered what I would do.

I sat next to Zim during the private sessions. Because of our names, we had to go last. I watched the others go by, saw each of them leave. When my name was called, Zim stopped me. "Shoot straight, ok?"

I put on my best smile. "You too."

I walked through the doors and saw the Tallest sitting on a high balcony. I walked to the center of the room and they stood up.

"Welcome Zee," Tallest Red beamed. "We are glad to have you in this tournament. I think it will be the most exciting year ever!"

I glared at them, my anger swelling. They didn't care about me. They just wanted a good show!

I put on my winning smile. "Oh, that means so much coming from you."

Their smiles froze. No one has ever talked to them this way.

"I will happily say that you are the most revolting Tallests I have ever seen." I continued. "You are both idiots, you kill without a second thought, you only hold snacks in the same level of importance as you, and worst of all, sent a sixteen-year-old to her death for you own amusement." I ripped off the Irken logo on my uniform and threw it on the ground in front of me. "I hope you both die a horrible death."

And with that, I spat on the logo and stomped out of the room, feeling wonderful.


	3. Private Sessions

_Zim's PO_V

My name was called soon after Zee's. I walked into the room and could see from their faces that they thought I wasn't worth their time. They dare ignore ZIM? I thought.

I picked up a laser gun and aimed it at the wall. I shot a continuous blast, leaving scorch marks on the wall. I turned to the Tallests, whose mouths were open in shock. I smiled smugly, then walked out of the room, giving one last glance at my work. On the wall, written in scorch marks, said _The Tallest are ESHONKS._

_Zee's POV_

I waited for Zim outside the training center. I didn't technically need to, but I felt like it because he hated the Tallest too. He stalked out, looking smug.

"How did you do?" I asked, barely containing my grin. He tossed his head. "I wrote eshonk on the wall in scorch marks."

"You didn't! They'll kill you!" I said, looking shocked. He looked worried now, like he'd done something terrible.

"Well, what did you do?" he asked, looking down. I grinned. "I ripped off the logo on my uniform and spat on it."

He laughed. "We're a pair of trouble makers, aren't we?"

We walked together down the hall, sharing the details on the session, laughing at how the Tallest reacted to the news. Who cares if they give us a bad score? What else could they do to us? We're already gonna fight to the death in the Games. I looked at Zim. He'd been a friend to me, and I think we could've gotten along if there weren't any Games. I turned away, pretending to laugh at whatever he just said._ The closer I am to him_, I thought,_ the harder it will be to kill him._

_Five Days Later..._

Me, Skan, Zim and his stylist were sitting on the velvet couch in our apartment. Today they were going to announce our training scores on TV. Why does it take so long to figure out our scores? I thought, crossing my arms over my chest.

The announcer on TV, Carx, was reading our scores alphabetically. As usual, Zim and I were last. I watched the contestants, waiting for our names to be called. The scores were rated out of 1-12, one being the lowest and twelve being unimaginably high. Zim and I were probably going to get a zero for the way we acted. I didn't care.

The contestants flew by.

Tak got an eleven. Caltic got a ten. RUF got an eight. Dez got a seven. Pin got a nine. Nikki got an eight. Teirn got a nine. Kandi got a ten. Fera got eleven. Kari got an eight. Skoodge got a three. Ziltch got a nine. Lain got an eleven. Nai got a five.

Finally, our names are called. I'm surprised to hear that I got a twelve. I don't understand. I thought they hated me! Zim got an eleven, another shocker. We stared at the screen, a grin crawling up my face. We still have a chance!

But when I heard the announcement, the grin slowly faded away.

"And now, a special announcement." Carx said. "Due to the death of a contestant at the fire at the acidic watering station, a replacement drawing took place."

A head shot of a little Irken girl flashed onscreen. I gasped, horrified. _Not her! Please not her!_

She had bright orange eyes and triangular antennae, slightly unusual for an Irken. But that wasn't what made my breath catch in my throat.

She was my little sister.


	4. Let The Games Begin

I stared at the screen, not believing my own eyes. But she was still there, staring blankly back at me. My hands covered my eyes, and I curled up into a ball. I heard their voices, sounding concerned, but I can't hear their words. I feel myself fall. I feel strong arms catch me. The last thing i see is bright red eyes, filled with concern.

I wake up in my bed, covers below me.

Of course, I don't really sleep. That's just the human term. What really happens is my PAK goes into a dormant stage, making my body inactive and lifeless, no movement except for my breathing.

Anyway, I woke up to find Zim staring at me from a chair near the foot of my bed. I stared back, and I saw a mixture of feelings in his eyes, but I didn't know what that meant. I saw sadness, pity and sympathy. Exactly what I didn't want him to feel. When we're in the Games, we can't have feelings for another person. There can only be one victor...

My eyes filled with tears. _My sister..._

I buried my head in my hands. I feel him climb onto the bed.

"How old is she?" He asks softly.

"... nine..." I say. "Her name is Keegz..." I stop.

"Go on." He says, smiling kindly. I stiffened. Why was he being kind to me? Maybe he was trying to get into my head...

"Why do you care?" I ask sharply.

His expression changes instantly. A smug smile crawls up his face. "No reason. I AM ZIM!" He screamed, then he ran out of my room yelling.

I sit there, quite confused. Then I remember Keegz...

She was so small. Tinier than average. But she was never a defect. She was happy when she destroyed things, unhappy when things didn't go her way. Normal smeet behaviour. I guess she changed when I was banished... has it been six years already?

I make up my mind. When I am launched into the Games, I need to protect her. No matter what.

/

I join Zim for breakfast, but neither of us talks very much. I reach for some chocolate when he speaks.

"Tomorrow."

That's all he says. He doesn't even look at me, but I know. Tomorrow. The Games start tomorrow.

I froze, the chocolate melting between my fingers. I don't know why, but that annoys me somehow.

"I know." I snap at him, crushing the chocolate in my grasp.

"Zim thought you would like to know. As Zee will surely die tomorrow." He said, almost casually, slurping a soda.

"I will _not _die." I growl.

He shrugged, and continued slurping. "Of course you won't. You're an _effective._"

He laughed as my face grew hot. Before my exile, I told the entire crew of the Massive about my idea of defects. That there were none, only effectives. I told them that the change didn't make us weak, they made us stronger. An hour later, Issi and I were trying to find a home on planet Dirt.

He got up and started to walk away.

"There are no defects!" I call after him.

"Of course not. That would make Zim inferior. Zim is not interior, for he is ZIM!" He yelled, then ran out of the room.

When he closed the door behind him, I burst into furious tears.

_I hate him! _I thought angrily.

_That will make it easier to kill him._ A nasty voice said at the back of my head.

Fear flooded through me.

_I can't do this…_

_You have to._

_I can't kill!_

_You killed Yawe, right?_

_He was just a Noid!_

_Is Issi just a Noid?_

_He tried to kill me!_

_So will everyone else here. _

_But only one can win!_

_Protect Keegz. That's all you can do._

_Keegz…_

I straightened up and took a deep breath. Tomorrow. That's how long I have to wait to protect her.

/

_The next day…_

I met Skan and Zim in the launching area. Zim was rolling his eyes as Skan tried to give him some advice.

"Look, our SMEETLING is here." Zim smirked upon seeing me.

I glared at him and held my head high as I passed him. He still smirked as he stepped into a dressing pod. I stepped into mine and gave a small smile to Skan. He caught my eye and returned the smile. Then he bowed with his hand to his chest as the pod door closed. I was surprised. Irkens only bow to their superiors. To their Tallest. Did he actually still respect me?

I forgot all about it as the customization pad was lowered. We all were to be dressed in the same style and fabric, but we were allowed to pick our own colours. I scroll unconsciously through the uniforms, stopping at a light blue colour the exact shade of my eyes. I stare at it for a while, not sure what to make of it. Why would the Tallest add this colour?

_To taunt you. Mess with your head._ A nasty voice said at the back of my head. I sighed and selected the colour.

In three seconds I was wearing a skin tight body suit with rubber boots and gloves, all in the light and dark blue. I felt myself being raised into the air, and I blink blindly at the bright sun. My eyes come into focus and I take in the scenery. Surrounding me is a thick forest, filled with chattering life and many shades of greens. I watch as the other contestants are raised into the air. I see Keegz, small and scared, her eyes wide. I am not aware of the countdown to begin. I only move when the buzzer starts. I bolt to her on my PAK legs, scooping her up from behind. She screamed and thrashed in my arms.

"Shut up!" I whisper fiercely. She stops.

"Sissy?" She asked. She looked up and her eyes flooded with relief.

I don't answer. I just place her on my shoulders as I race for supplies. I pick up two backpacks before I hear him. I look up to see RUF, the green and black SIR unit, barreling at me head-on.

I yelled in surprise and leap away, but the robot wheeled around and charged again. He pulled out a knife from nowhere, and landed a cut on my side. Keegz was screaming, pulling on my antennae. I kicked the SIR as hard as I could, and he landed a few feet away. I stabbed him with the sharp part of my PAK leg, the metal spike piercing through his head. The robot glared at me with its green eyes, then went black. I clutched my side as I galloped away. I heard her coming before she attacked, and ducked, pulling Keegz down with me.

Lain landed where my head was a moment ago, and stood up, twirling the knife between her claws.

"Nice reflexes." She said casually, her eyes flickering to my backpacks, then to Keegz. A slow grin crept up her face. I kicked her chest, winding her, and ran past her, disappearing into the forest.

/

Lain cursed Zee in Irken, and brushed herself off. She stood up to meet a sharp blade at her throat. Teirn smirked at her and pressed the blade closer to her skin.

"We could last longer as a team, you know." He said smugly. Behind him, Ziltch and Tak wiped off their weapons with the uniforms of their victims. They laughed and walked back to Teirn, Ziltch's arm around her shoulder. Caltic was holding his SIR unit in his arms with a delicate expression in his eyes. Then he tossed the body to the side and joined Teirn, just as Kandi swung from a tree and flipped to her feet.

Lain grinned and held out her hand. "Allies?"

Teirn returned the smile and shook it, releasing her.

**_Note, I am still looking for about six more OCs. If you want them to be entered, just review their name, bio, weapon and their death. Thanks!_**


	5. Enemies and Allies

I panted as I stumbled over the roots of the giant trees. It felt like I had been running for hours, and Keegz and the backpacks were becoming very heavy. I spotted a small cave to my right and dragged myself over to it, dropping Keegz and the bags. She grumbled at me and began rummaging for supplies. I stretched my back and sighed when it cracked. I heard the click of a gun before I saw his eyes.

"Hey look! We got donuts!" Keegz said happily, pulling out the treat.

"Don't move." I whispered, raising my hands over my head.

"Why?" She asked, now munching on a chocolate glazed. His eyes narrowed and he pointed the gun at her. In that moment, I lunged for him, my PAK legs activating and pinning his arms and legs to the ground.

"Get off me, you bitch!" He cried, trying to throw me off. I growled and pinned him harder, making blood trickle from his wrists. Nai yelled in pain, his bluish grey eyes wide. I reached over his head and grabbed the gun he dropped. Pointing it between his eyes, I glared at him, fury racing through me.

"Give me a reason." I snapped.

He stared at me, terrified. "P-please..." A small tear fell down his right cheek. "Please don't..."

I stared at him, and I began to feel sick. Retreating my legs, I stepped back, still pointing the gun to him.

"Just this once." I say softly, and throw the gun at his feet. He stares at it from the ground, speechless.

Never turning away from him, I scoop up the bags and my sister. I keep my eyes on him until I am deep in the forest, out of eyesight. The whole time he stares at me in disbelief.

Finally, when he can't see us anymore, I raise up on my PAK legs again and gallop off.

"Why?" Keegz asks after a while.

"Hmm?" I say, looking for a place to rest.

"Why did you let him go?" She asked. "He wanted to kill us."

I pretended to examine the area while I thought. Nai had reminded me of myself, during my many beatings by Yawe. Red had sent him, I'm sure of it. And I always felt helpless, as if this would be the time he ended me. But he never did, and I grew up in constant fear because of it.

"I couldn't do it. It's a sick, horrible thing to do, murder." I answer.

"You killed Yawe." She pointed out.

"It was different. He was evil. He wasn't even Irken." I say irritably.

She stays quiet for a while.

"What did you do while I was gone?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Chaos." She said with a smirk. "I stole snacks from the Tallest, released malfunctioning SIR units on Devastis and rode a Ham Demon through the city."

"Good Irk!" I said in horror. "Was it fun?" I beamed.

She giggled and hugged me. Her tiny arms barely made it around my back. "I missed you." She whispered.

"I missed you too." I said softly. I look up at a tall tree and sighed. "We'll stay here for a while."

I struggled to climb up on my PAK legs, finally coming to a rest at a large branch. I hooked the backpacks around two smaller branches, having them hang over our heads. The branch we sat on was to large I could lay flat on my stomach and still not be able to reach the other sides.

"When did the Tallest make the Games?" I asked, opening a bag and taking out a few items. A knife, some rope, a laser gun and a bottle.

"Really soon after you left." She replied, sitting down cross-legged, staring back at me. I open the bottle for a drink to find that it's empty.

"How come you don't know? Did they have TV where you were?" She asked.

"They scooped up a handful of defects every year and shipped them away. We never saw them again." I say, searching the bags for food.

"By the way, do you have your psychelia yet?" I ask, my face submerged in the bag as I look. Developing a psychelia is a sign of an Irken's maturity, and I know Keegz had been wanting one for a long time.

"Nah, not yet." She said crossly.

"Aha! Sammich!" I cry, pulling out two sandwiches with the Irken logo stamped to the back.

"Gimme!" She snatched the sandwich out of my hand and began to eat.

I smile and munch on my own, leaning on the tree trunk. For a long time we just sit there in silence, listening to the odd chirps of the alien birds. Around nightfall, the anthem began. Not knowing the rules of the Games, I panicked. Activating my PAK lasers, I braced for attack. Keegz laughed.

"It's just the anthem. Look." She pointed to a sky. A large Voot Runner was holding a giant screen, displaying the Irken symbol. The anthem stopped and I saw flashes of Irken faces. The SIR unit I killed was shown with the others. Then the screen went black and the Runner flew away.

"What was that?" I asked.

"The dead tributes." She said grimly, taking out a second sandwich from the bag. "They showed seven people. That means there's still seventeen left."

She munched on the sandwich for a while, and snuggles into me as I sit down again. Soon she was snoring softly. I smiled. _She had changed a lot in six years._..

I start to doze off when I hear the voices.

"... inferior scum. How dare they mess with me! Me! I AM ZIM!"

I bolt awake, motioning for Keegz to be quiet. I lean down to see the familiar face of Zim, marching smugly through the trees.

"Keep your voice down!" The pudgy Skoodge hissed, waddling after him.

"And why should I? Zim fears nothing! NOTHING!" Zim cried smugly.

"Shut up, or I won't be responsible for what I do." A grey eyed male growled, stomping after them. As I stared, I saw that his eyes had a strange, milky substance to them.

"Blind..." I whispered. I immediately wished I hadn't, because the male's right antennae twitched, and he turned in my direction.

"In the tree!" He cried, pulling a large sword out of nowhere. Zim and Skoodge looked up and I snatched up the bags. Keegz scrambled over my shoulders and I activated my PAK legs.

"No!" I heard Zim cry. I turn around just in time to feel the butt of the sword hit my head. I crumple on the branch as I try to keep conscious. The last thing I heard was Keegz screaming my name.

/

When I wake up, the first thing I realize is that I'm back on the ground. Then I become aware of the small bonfire next to me. Panicking, I begin stomping on it. If the fire is seen, the killers would be here soon.

"Cut it out!" Zim cries. I look up to see him sitting across from me.

"Where is she?" I snap, taking my foot away from the flames.

"The smeet? With Hail." He said calmly.

"H-Hail?" I ask.

"My friend." He began adding more twigs to the fire.

"Put that out!" I cry. "Do you know how dangerous that is? Anyone can see it!"

"No one would dare challenge Zim." He said calmly.

I growl at him and look around. "Wha... What happened?"

"Hail hit you with his sword. He thought you were a danger. The smeet of yours screamed HORRIBLY. Zim was worried they would be caught, so he told her that he was a friend. She didn't believe Zim." He chuckled softly. "It took a while to get her on our side."

"Why wouldn't I be a threat?" I snapped, activating my PAK legs.

"Because you can't kill Zim. You owe Zim your life." He smirked.

I growled at him, hating every fiber of his being. "Where is Hail and Keegz?"

"Patroling. Making sure we aren't troubled. She wanted to help." He said, still smiling.

"And... what's-his-face... Skoodge. Where is he?" I ask, sitting down cautiously.

"Getting more wood."

I look around awkwardly. "So... Allies?"

"You would last longer with Zim." He nodded.

I smile a bit. We WOULD last longer as a team...

"Wait... You said Skoodge was gathering wood alone?" I ask, realising something.

"Yes. The gullible fool couldn't carry HALF as much-"

"Where is he getting the wood?" I say, raising to my feet.

"Far away, so he won't-"

"And Hail and Keegz. How far out are they guarding?" I am looking around now, trying to see him.

"Zim can see them." He said, turning around and pointing. I see the figures of Hail and Keegz walking in a wide circle, Keegz skipping happily.

"You moron!" I scream at him. "Skoodge is unprotected!"

I take off running, activating my PAK legs. _How could Zim let an idiot like Skoodge wander off alone?_

"Skoodge!" I cry, not caring who heard. "Skoodge!"

Behind me I heard Zim crashing crashing through the trees. "Skoodge! Come back!" He calls.

/

Skoodge hummed as he picked up a few twigs. The small smeet they met had been nicer than Hail or Zim. He smiled a bit and leant down to pick up a large branch.

A black boot crunched it before Skoodge could reach it. He looked up to see a skull mask leering down at him.

/

"What's going on?" Hail asked, panting after us. Keegz struggled to catch up to him.

"This idiot sent Skoodge away!" I cry, shoving Zim in the chest.

"Don't touch him." Hail growled, advancing on me.

"Or what? He could've killed him!" I say, glaring at the blind soldier.

Hail looks like he's about to answer, but he's interrupted by a blood-curling scream.

"Skoodge!" Hail and Zim cry, running after the scream. I scoop up Keegz and follow them on PAK legs.

We reach a small clearing, where a bundle of sticks are scattered slightly.

"There!" I cry, pointing up. A small Spittle Runner was raising a small, pudgy body into it's cockpit.

"Skoodge..." Zim said softly. He turned to the trees, a fire blazing in his eyes.

"You DARE challenge the wrath of an Irken Elite?" He boomed, looking terrifying, which was hard considering his size.

"You will rue the day you messed with ZIM! I will have my revenge!" He rounded on a bush to the right. "Tak!"

He lunged at the bush, ripping it apart.

"Zim... Zim! She's not here! STOP!" Hail cried, pulling Zim off the mess. I stared at him in shock when I realized he was sobbing.

"She... She did it..." He said, shaking in Hail's arms. "I'll kill her... I'll kill her!" He screamed at the sky, tears streaming down his cheeks.

I looked away as Hail calmed him down. I stared at the bundle of twigs for a while, until it caught my eye. I placed Keegz down in the ground softly and walked over to it. I picked it up gingerly and examined it. It was a long, black scarf. The same one that Caltic wore.

/

Zim calmed down after a few hours. If possible, he became more arrogant and naive. He boasted about his "success" to Keegz, who found him funny.

I walked in behind with Hail. I kept silent for a while until he spoke.

"She's adorable." He said softly.

I looked over to Keegz, who was taunting Zim, beaming the whole time. "Yeah. I don't remember the last time I saw her so happy." I murmured.

"I've never seen her eye colour before." He continued.

"DNA splicing. I wanted her to be different." I say.

We kept walking, silence falling again.

"How did you meet him?" I ask, nodding to Zim, then blushing when I remembered he couldn't see.

He smiled. "Smeetmates. We blew up a Smeetery together."

"That was you? The Tallest spent weeks trying to figure it out!" I cry.

He shrugged, still smiling.

"And... your eyes?" I ask hesitantly, knowing it was personal.

"Nothing to them. Born like this." He said stiffly.

"Hai-"

"ZEE!" Keegz screamed. I looked up. She and Zim were hanging, upside down by their feet.

"Don't move!" I say, holding a hand out to stop Hail. I hadn't notice before, but the forest floor was covered in snares.

Hail pulled out his sword and went into a fighting stance. I activated my PAK legs, aiming them ahead of me.

"Dad?" A small voice said. Nikki dropped from a high tree in front of us.

"RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME OR FEEL THE WRATH OF ZIIIM!" Zim screeched.

"Get them down." I snapped, aiming my PAK lasers at her. Frightened, she untied a small knot under a root. Keegz and Zim fell flat on their faces.

"How dare you make of fool of me! Me! I AM-"

"Shhh! This place is crawling with hunters." She hissed.

Zim stared at her blankly for a moment. "I AM ZIM!" He screamed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Moron!" I snap, as I hear the word come alive with the sound of boots over earth. I scoop up Keegz and begin scaling the nearest tree. Dropping her on a branch, I rush down the tree. I hang on the tree vertically, like a spider. I boost Zim up after her, then Hail. When they climb out of sight in the large branches, I turn to Nikki.

She looks frightened.

I stare at her for a while, then offer my hand.

She smiles a bit and takes it. Before I can lift her up, two strong arms rip me off the tree, breaking one of my back legs. They throw me on the ground and I scramble to get up. A large black boot collides with my chest and throws me back.

"Hello, my Smeetling." He says gruffly, sneering at me through the slits in his skull mask.

"You caught her!" A ruby-eyed male grinned. He twirled his spear in his right claw. Behind him, a dark-blue eyed male was struggling with Nikki. I saw him take out a cloth and press it to her mouth. She slumped in his arms and he placed her down gently.

"No!" I cried, struggling to get up.

"Shut up!" Tak sneered, strolling over to me. The other hunters crowded around me.

"Can I do it?" Ziltch said excitedly, taking out a small knife.

"I can give a better show." Lain smirked, taking out a bigger, bloodstained knife.

"No." Pin, the blue-eyed male said suddenly. The others turned to him.

"What?" Caltic hissed, putting more weight on my chest, making it harder to breathe.

"S-she might be able to lead us to the others." He said nervously.

"How do we know you won't just set her free?" Teirn snapped.

As an answer, the blue-eyed male pointed to Nikki's limp body. Kandi kicked her in the stomach. She didn't move. "Dead." Kandi said confidently.

The hunters looked to Caltic. He considers me for a moment.

"Tie her up." He says, driving his heel into my chest, making me cough. The others take out some ripe and bind me, so tight I can hardly move. I try activating my PAK, but the fall must have done something to it. It sparks a bit, then dies. I don't move as they lift me over their shoulders. I don't look up at the faces of my only allies as they carry me away. I just stare at Nikki's limp body, feeling awful for Zim.

I don't know how long we walk when they drop me. I fall flat on my face, my mouth full of twigs.

"Tomorrow we hunt." Caltic growled nastily, and I heard him start a bonfire. The other hunters sit down, and I roll myself on my back.

The night is thick around us, I can only make out a few stars in the sky. I hope that the others don't come after me. It would just make them easier prey.

"Hey, Smeetling!" I heard Kandi cry. A soda can bonks me on the head, spilling the drink everywhere. The hunters laugh at me. A pair of hands shove me upright. Lain smirks at me.

"Where are your friends? If you tell us, you'll live longer." She said softly.

I glare at her. She shrugs. "Fine. Tell us tomorrow. If you don't come around, we can take care of you."

Ziltch grins at Tak, who is examining her knife greedily, glaring at me from her narrowed eyes.

Pin, the blue-eyed male, is sitting alone. He stokes the fire quietly.

"I'll take the first shift." Teirn yawns. The hunters grumble and settle down to sleep, keeping their weapons close. Teirn slumps against the nearby tree, his spear in his lap. He yawns softly as his allies snore. He stares at me occasionally. After about an hour, he stands up. Grabbing me by the collar, he drags me over to the tree. He throws me down and sits next to me, the spear at my throat. He rests his arm around my shoulder, smirking.

"How's the life of the peasants?" He whispers. I growl at him.

"Ooh, angry. That's not nice..." He says, pressing the blade on my throat, drawing blood.

"I don't even know why Caltic wants you alive." He comes closer, the blade stinging horribly. "You have no chance. You had a pampered life, we had to work for survival. It's bound to happen sometime..."

I look up to the sky, not wanting to watch. "You won't find them." I say, trying to sound as if I wasn't scared. As if I wasn't terrified of dying. Of leaving Keegz.

"We'll see." He says, and he lifts my neck up.

I close my eyes and wait for the blade. It doesn't come.

I open to see Pin struggling with Teirn, covering his mouth with the same cloth he used on Nikki. Teirn slumped in his arms, and Pin threw him aside.

"Come on." He whispered, cutting my ropes with a small blade.

"Wha-"

"No time!" He hissed. He shoved me forward, pushing me into a run. We run until we can't see the hunters anymore, and I punch him in the face.

"Ah! Mah cheek-meat!" He cries, holding his cheek.

I activate my legs to attack, but he just rubs his cheek gingerly.

"That hurt." He pouted.

"It should. You murdered a smeet!" I hiss.

"Wha... No, no, I didn't kill her!" Pin cried, backing away. "Just knocked her out!"

"Yeah right. Kandi said she was dead." I snap.

"Kandi kicked her." Pin said, sounding annoyed. "Found a chemical that knocks Irkens unconscious. I put it on a rag and told them it was lethal."

"And they believed you?" I scoffed.

"I told them to sniff it if they didn't believe me." Pin said smugly. "Nikki is probably fine. So is Teirn."

I retreat my legs cautiously. "Why are you helping me?" I ask.

"Well... Do you remember your speech before your banishment?" He asked.

I remember. I had spoken to all of Irk, trying to convince them that defects weren't bad.

"Yeah." I say. "Our so-called defections don't make us weaker. They make us stronger, faster, smarter."

"We are not Detectives. We are Effectives." He finished. He stares at me for a while, and I stare back. "I took that seriously. Lots of us did. We, the defects, rallied against the Empire. That's how the Games began." He said seriously.

"But... why didn't you kill her? Nikki?"

At this, Pin looks down. "It's just... unfair, don't you think? Sending smeets into these Games? And she is so skilled..."

I roll my eyes. _Males_...

/

Pin and I took camp in a high tree. My PAK legs were strong enough to carry us, but they needed repairing. I boosted him up and climbed after him, snapping off my PAK to repair the legs. I looked up to see Pin staring at me.

"What?"

"Put that back on! They could be anywhere!" He hissed at me.

I rolled my eyes and continued to work. After about a half hour, the legs were repaired. I snapped it back on and sighed, drawing strength from it.

"How did you do that?" Pin asked, his eyes wide. "That was way longer than ten minutes."

"Trade secret." I say, laying down. I close my eyes, but I don't fall asleep for a while. I wonder about Keegz. She's probably scared...

I wake as Pin's agonized screaming fills the air.


	6. Meat, Trees and Flames

I jerk my head around to look at him, and immediately wished I didn't. Horrible, robotic gophers were tearing him apart with their robotic claws. He screamed and tried to pull them off, but they were too strong.

"Pin!" I cried, rushing over to help. The gophers turned to look at me.

"Irk." I mutter, and leapt out of the tree. I heard them chattering behind me, but I didn't look around. Landing on my PAK legs, I took off running. One of them landed on my leg, chirping angrily. I shrieked and shook it off. A large cannon opens from my PAK, and I begin shooting them wildly. I knock down nearby trees, squishing the gophers. I hear a loud screech, then silence. I dropped to the ground, my weapons retreating.

"HELP! FERA!" A shrill voice cried. I looked up to see the small figure of Kari dangling from a tall branch by her left hand. The tree had been shot in my wild attempt to escape, and was swaying dangerously.

"Kari! Hold on!" Fera cried, but I hear that she's too far away to reach her. I activate my PAK legs and begin scaling the tree. Kari sees me coming and shrieks. Her hand is beginning to slip, and she grabs on with both hands.

"Don't let go!" I cry, climbing as fast as I can. I finally reach her branch, but the tree is moaning loudly, and beginning to tip over.

"Grab my hand!" I cry, hanging on the trunk like a spider, reaching for her. She stares at me with terrified eyes and reaches as far as she can. Our fingers barely touch when her branch snaps. Flailing, she leaps as far as she can to grab my hand. I grip it tightly, straining to hold her. She looks down at the approaching ground, then turns to me.

"Thank you." She whispered, then let go. I scream, trying to catch her again. She closes her eyes to meet the earth. I'm sobbing now, and I jump from the tree. Landing on PAK legs, I cover my head when the tree hits the ground with a deafening THUMP.

"Kari!" Fera cries, reaching the tree. I see a tiny arm poking out from under a branch. Fera sees it too, and claps her hand to her mouth.

"Kari..." She begins to cry, sinking to her knees. She doesn't see me when I slip away. I hear her singing an old Irken lullaby, as if to guide her to sleep.

I run as fast as I can away from the tree; I didn't want her to see me. She might think I had something to do with Kari's death. I ran for about an hour before I realized the pounding in my head. I hadn't had anything to drink since before I got here. I needed to find some acid... but where could I find it on this planet?

I stumbled on, retreating my PAK legs. I needed a soda. A juice box. Something...

I take to a tree and snap off my PAK. My energy supply is running low. That could be a problem. I needed sugar, fast.

A soft chirping caught my attention. A coulourful bird was sitting next to me on a nearby branch. Now, I don't hunt. I know some defects at Dirt that will, but I never liked it. I wondered what they ever did with the meat. Did it taste good?

I needed food. The bird took a laser shot to his head. He never felt a thing. I cleaned him as best I could, then stared at the pinkish bird in my hand. It didn't really look that appetizing…

Scrunching up my face, I bit into his wing. Ugh, it was horrible. Then I became aware of the sizzling sound. The meat was burning my mouth! I gagged and spat it out. Taking a mirror out of my PAK, I examine my tongue. It's blistered raw, and so are my inner cheeks. I take off my glove and poke the bird. My skin starts to blister so I retreat it.

I experiment with this new reaction by shooting more animals. The fur doesn't bother me, but when I clean it, as if to eat, it becomes a lethal weapon. I smile and pack up the meat in a PAK compartment. I look up and realise that the sun is beginning to set. I didn't know I was busy for so long. I speared my PAK legs ito the tree so I didn't fall off when I slept. When the anthem started, I had to force myself to look up. There was Kari, Pin, Skoodge. That's it. _So Keegz is still alive…_ I sigh in relief. I lean back into the tree when I smell the smoke.

Panicking, I jump out of the tree. Right into a flaming bush. I wish I spent more time at the Academy….

I cry out and scramble to get out of the bush. My mind racing, I look around. Everywhere I look there's fire. Fire devouring the trees, roots, the floor itself. I look around wildly for a way out, but the fire is closing in.

"Help!" I choke, becoming dizzy from the smoke. "HELP!"

I hear insane laughter echoing through the air. I kneel on the ground, fighting for air.

"Help…" I croak. Looking up, I see two figures standing in the tree above me.

"Look at her, fighting for her life! So _brave_, my Smeetling!" One calls down to me. I see a faint glint of yellow coming from his eyes. The other looks at me with a kind of sympathy. _Dez…and Skarrch…_ I think, my mind becoming muggy. Skarrch laughs as I collapse, coughing and sputtering.

"…Good work with the fire!" Skarrch's voice is becoming fainter.

"Yeah…" I hear Dez mutter. Then the wall of flames engulfed me, and I heard no more.


	7. Moar Trees

/

"… Burns…"

"Lucky to be alive… "

"Skarrch and Dez?" These words come into focus after a while. I know the voices…

I try to sit up, but the effort causes me to cry out in pain.

"Zee!" A voice calls, muffled slightly. I open my eyes to see the concerned face of Keegz kneeling over me.

"Wha…. What happened?" I croak, wincing at the sound of my voice.

"Hail heard you calling for help, and we found you in a bunch of flames." She says softly.

I cough a raspy, awful cough, making her flinch.

"But…" I begin.

"No buts. You're alive." She whispers. I stare at her for a few seconds until I realize she's crying.

"What happened?" I say stiffly.

Keegz bows her head, tears streaming from her eyes. "Well, when w-we got there, Skarrch put up a big fight. He took out a b-bomb…" She buries her head in her hands. "Hail was gone before we could do anything. We couldn't find him…"

"Are you going to tell her, or shall Zim?" Zim popped up next to her.

"Tell me what, Mister Almighty?" I say sarcastically.

"He pulls out a mirror from his PAK. I have to stare at it for a while before I realize what he's showing me. My right antenna was burned where my curl began, leaving an ugly stump. I knew then why everything sounded muffled.

"Yes yes, she's horribly mangled and ugly, we know." Nikki said arrogantly. "We gotta move, the hunters'll be here soon."

I sighed and pushed myself up, shrugging off Keegz. Every pore of my being felt like it was on fire, so I activated my PAK legs to walk. After three steps I collapsed, making Keegz cry out.

"…Acid…" I mumble. "I'm so thirsty…"

Keegz scrambled to get a soda from her backpack, and helped me drink the sugary liquid.

When I can walk again, I lean on her to keep my balance. Zim rolls his eyes at me while Nikki kept glancing concerned looks at me.

After about an hour, I need to sit down. I lay on my stomach, my face in the ground.

"Uh… Sissy?" Keegz asks nervously. "Are you ok?"

"I'm as burnt as a Rat Person on the sun, and I can't hear out of one side of my head. I'm fantastic." I grumble into the earth.

"We must keep moving. The hunters will kill us for sure if we stay here for long." Nikki said nervously. Zim just rolled his eyes and slumped off to sit under a tree.

Keegz sighed and pulled out a few snacks ad sodas from the backpacks and shared with Nikki. I got bored of their chatter and rolled over to Zim. I stopped at his feet and he looked up.

"Hi." I said. Since I was moving less, the painkillers and healing process was speeding up.

"What." He said flatly.

"You and Hail. You guys were close, right?" What was I saying? Since when did I care?

"Yes, he adored Zim for his Zimmyness, and Zim always respected him for the taller being he was." Zim said stiffly.

"Zimmy. I like that name." I giggled. Stupid painkillers…

Zim bristled. "Zim does not like that name."

"Zimmy… _Ziiiiiiiiimmy…_" I sang, rolling onto my back.

"Stop that! I am Zim!" He cried.

"Zimmy!"

"Stop!"

_"Zimmy!"_

"Stop!"

"ZIMMY!"

"SILENCE, YOU FILTHY HEAD OF STINK!" He screamed, standing up. He glares at me for a moment. I begin to giggle, and he starts too. After a while, we're rolling on the ground, laughing our heads off.

/

High up in a tree, Skarrch stood on a branch, leaning on the trunk. On a higher branch, Dez was sitting down, polishing a flamethrower.

"How are these idiots a threat?" Skarrch snapped. "We should be hunting the hunters! The _actual _killers."

"They've survived this far. And the girl might be useful." Dez said casually.

Skarrch snorted. "Yeah right."

"Irkens rallied with her six years ago. She's powerful." Dez clicked the switch and gazed fondly at the pure blue flame. "But when the time comes, I _will _kill her."

"I wanna kill her." Skarrch pouted.

"Dude, you had your chance." Dez rolled his eyes.

"I'm gonna do it."

"No, it will be me."

"But I wanna!"

/

Zim and I stopped laughing when we heard them arguing. We looked up to see Skarrch and Dez in the tree above us.

"They tried to kill me…" I whisper, and activate my PAK legs. I hear Zim scrambling for a gun behind me.

Dez spots me first, and calls out in alarm. Skarrch turns around to meet my fist colliding with his face.

"Son of a bitch!" He cries, lunging back. Dez clicks on a flamethrower and aims it at me.

"You punch like a female!" Skarrch says, smirking. I lunge for him again, pinning him to the trunk of the tree.

"Dez, help!" He calls, panicked. I glare at Dez, and he stares at Skarrch, then at me. He smirks.

"It had to come to this sometime." He casually lit a branch on fire.

He jumps out of the tree, leaving us alone. I snarl at Skarrch, ignoring the flames.

"You tried to kill me…" I hiss.

"Hey, a guy's gotta do what-" He begins, a smug grin on his face. I punch him across the cheek, leaving an emerald bruise.

"Zee! We gotta move!" Zim calls. He's already on the ground. I look down and realise the entire tree is burning up. I look up again and Skarrch is gone.

"Too slow!" He sings, waving at me from a lower branch. I lunge for him, but I'm to far. For a second, I hang in mid-air, and he laughs at me. Then I look down and plummet back to the ground. I land on something cushy and small. It takes me a moment to realize it's Zim.

"Urg…" He grumbles.

"I'm sorry!" I cry, leaping off to help him up. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

I don't notice the small little cylinder as it falls next to us. Zim shrugs me off, and shakes his head to clear it.

"Zim is fine, it will take more than the puny Zee to injure him. I AM ZIM!"

"Good Irk that's annoying…" I mumble. Then I notice it. The small, silver canister with the Irken logo stamped on the back. The red numbers ticking down to one. I throw it as far away as I can, when I see Dez and Skarrch wrestling with each other. Dez throws Skarrch off of him, right onto the little canister. Then it explodes.


	8. The Water

Fire. Pain. Screaming. Those are the only things I can focus on when the canister explodes. I'm covered in a warm liquid, but I can't see it. I open my eyes only to see shapes. I blink, and I can make out a few things. One is the pain in my antennae, the stubby one. Two is Keegz, who is curled up in a ball and screaming. Sobbing and screaming at the same time. Tree is the liquid. I realize it's green blood. Everywhere. Skarrch is dead. There's no way he could survive that. It must be his blood. I sputter and gag, and more and more senses return to me.

Zim is wounded. His leg is burnt and raw. Keegz is covered in blood, but it doesn't seem to be hers. And Dez. He's limping away. Something inside me snaps. I stand up, ignoring the ringing only I can hear. I stumble after him, breaking into a run.

He sees me coming and yells. My fists collide with him, and I am beating him black and green. He coughs and doubles over. Then he lunges for me, his hands around my throat. His eyes are desperate and wild, like an animal. I shove him away from me as hard as I can, and he releases me. I force him to the ground, pinning him with my knees. He takes a knife out from somewhere and stabs my thigh. I weaken and he scrambles away. Towards a little pond.

Only white hot fury makes me stand. Makes me grab him again and slam him into the pool. Hold him under as he thrashes. But then everything slows down. I catch a glimpse of myself in the water's reflection. Wild, murderous. The same glint in my eye that I so feared from Yawe. And I become aware of the hissing noise coming from my hands and Dez's body. He's so still under the water, his skin blistered as if burned.

I'm sobbing when I drag him out. I pump on his chest like I've seen the medics do so many times back at the exiled camp. Sometimes the weaker ones of us would wander too close to the acid filtering tanks. The clumsy, forgetful ones. But I don't know what I'm doing, my rhythm irregular and sloppy. I clutch his lifeless body and wail.

He's dead because of me… I wail and scream, not caring who hears. I close his glassy eyes and stand up, my eyes burning with tears.

No… Not because of tears. My hands and face are hissing, burning from where I touched him. I panic and grab a nearby leaf, wiping my hands and face. I stare at my hands in wonder. Dez's body is so much worse, burned raw and emerald. Cautiously I cross to the pond and place my finger in the water. It begins to burn an I retreat it. Calmly, as if in a dream, I scoop up some of the liquid in a bottle from my PAK.

Water. We had some of it back at the exiled camp. Some idiots thought it was acid and drank it. The medics couldn't do anything to save them.

I walk away from the pond, from Dez. A carrier will take him away soon. I tell myself I need to go back to Keegz, but I can't do it. Not like this. I scale a tree and sit there. My hands are still hissing, and my whole body aches from trying to revive him. Water stains the blue uniform, so I strip down, placing the outfit on nearby branches to dry.

I don't know how long I stay in that tree, naked as the day I hatched. It could have been hours, it could have only been minutes. I don't move a muscle, waiting for my PAK to heal me. I'm just pulling back on the uniform when I hear the screams.

I scramble out of the tree, landing on my PAK legs. My hearing is still muffled, but I'm sure that it's Nikki. I run back to the site of the explosion as fast as I can. I retreat my legs as I get close, and crouch in the bushes.

"Where is she?" Teirn was snarling. He held the blade of his spear to Nikki's throat, holding her by her straight antennae. Zim was struggling against Ziltch and Tak, and Keegz was being held by Lain.

"Let her go! Release her, or feel the wrath of ZIM!" Zim shouted, writhing in their grasps.

"Shaddap." Kandi snapped.

"Where is the girl? Xenial." Caltic snarled, approaching Nikki. The poor girl was shaking.

"S-s-s-s-s-she r-ran off." Nikki whimpered. "I d-d-don't k-know…"

"WHERE!" Teirn snarled, tightening his hold. She wailed and I winced. Irken antennae are very sensitive.

"I DON'T KNOW! She ran after Dez! Hours ago!"

Teirn roared and I closed my eyes, scared of what I would see. I heard the sound of a body hitting the ground, and Zim's screams.

I open my eyes to see Nikki limp on the ground, a trickle of blood on the side of her head.

Teirn kicked her in disgust. Zim screamed an unIrkly scream, sending chills down my spine. He threw his elbow into Tak's stomach and grabbed Ziltch's head, kneeling him on the skull. He took out his gun and shot Teirn. Once in the head, three in the chest, two in the stomach. Teirn toppled over, landing inches from Nikki. Kandi and Caltic grabbed him, dragging him to the ground. Tak was growling, and pulled out a knife from her inside pocket.

I couldn't stand there. He saved me once.

I leapt out of the bushes, tackling Tak. I activate my PAK legs and begging shooting. I have enough sense to set them on stun. I can't kill again. But it did the trick. It scares the hunters enough to panic. Lain and Kandi bolt away to the east, while Tak, Caltic and Ziltch crawl away to the west. Zim tries to chase after Tak but I stop him. He thrashed and yells, but I pull him over to Nikki. He stops and stares at her, then collapses to his knees. His entire body shakes with sobs, huge gasps and wails of despair. He rocks back and forth, clutching her body like a lifeline.

I can't comfort him. I know I can't. This isn't something you can talk about yet. So I head over to Keegz. I calm her down, tell her it's all right. But it isn't. None of us will be all right until this is over.

/

Kandi and Lain sit together in front of a small fire, not talking. Kandi pokes it with a stick once and a while. Then she pulled out a small box out of her pocket.

"What's that?" Lain asked.

"I found it at the idiot's campsite." Kandi said smugly. "Looks like someone dropped it from their PAK."

Indeed, the box looked like a small PAK compartment.

"Ooh, maybe it's food!" Lain said, her spooch grumbling loudly. "Can I have some?"

"No way!" Kandi said, turning away from the Irkeness.

"I don't have any left! And we ARE allies..." Lain said casually. She stared at Kandi suspiciously.

"We ARE allies... right?"

Kandi didn't answer. Then she shrugged.

Lain lunged for her, pinning her to the ground with her knees on her chest. "Really? You want to be enemies with me?" She hissed menacingly,

"It had to come to this at some point." Kandi smirked.

Kandi grabbed the stick, smoking from the fire, and stabbed Lain in the neck. Lain sputtered and toppled over, holding her bleeding neck. Kandi averted her eyes and turned to the small box. She shuddered as Lain became still behind her. Regret flashed behind her pretty eyes, then vanished.

She turned her attention to the little box. Strips of a strange, pale food lay inside. The meat Zee had found.

Kandi's spooch growled loudly as she tilted the box into her mouth and swallowed them whole.


End file.
